James Lewis, Center for International Strategic Studies – spoke on CSPAN 10 Feb 2012 regarding security. He does not hesitate to put his social security number on the web. “If they want to get your stuff, they will get your stuff.”

Mr. Smolan is an enthusiast, saying that Big Data has the potential to be “humanity’s dashboard,” an intelligent tool that can help combat poverty, crime and pollution. Privacy advocates take a dim view, warning that Big Data is Big Brother, in corporate clothing.

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Data measurement, Professor Brynjolfsson explains, is the modern equivalent of the microscope. Google searches, Facebook posts and Twitter messages, for example, make it possible to measure behavior and sentiment in fine detail and as it happens.

Now look at the conclusions from an analysis by NYT on the aggressiveness of government prosecution of leaks, and the reporters who wrote about them, under President Obama. James Risen was subpoenaed :

“I was told in a rather cocky manner” by a national security representative, Ms. Dalglish recalled, that “the Risen subpoena is one of the last you’ll see.”

She continued, paraphrasing the official: “We don’t need to ask who you’re talking to. We know.

Then, remember the hacks from the newspapers in Britain? Corporations showing no regard for individual liberties (such as a right to privacy) in pursuit of the quarterly profit.

Speaking of – NYT editorial on ALEC — funded by — large corporations — and its pervasive influence at the state level.

So, while there is much thrashing about over whether the second amendment is being respected, our first, and fourth amendment, rights are quickly deteriorating…